I Still Love You
by FreyasWrath
Summary: AU. At the time of their break up, it seemed like the right thing to do. They seemed to have lost their ability to communicate but now, four years later, they are both in new relationships and still thinking about one another and the love they had shared.


**RAWR! I am the worst author in history of the world! I had another idea…and had to write it down and present it to you guys. So…yeah. I'm sorry. I have trouble focusing on one thing for very long. I know I'm still going to be working on Nightmare for awhile but yeah, I just had this idea.**

**I had a really difficult time with the beginning so hopefully it turned out okay.**

**So, enjoy and all that jazz.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DP…no duh.**

**To Reminisce On Moments Past**

_Chloe loaded the last of her boxes into the back of her green SUV. She hated those cardboard boxes. They signified change in her life. The end of her used to be wonderful relationship with Derek Souza and the start of her life as a single woman. _

_She despised the very idea. In fact, it made her sick to her stomach. _

_But they had both come to the conclusion, after many months of debating and arguing, that it was time for change. Time for them both to move on with their lives, without each other. It was a hard decision for both of them. They were in love but a lack of true communication for almost a year made them distant._

_They both were to be held accountable for the break up._

_Derek's world was left shattered after a car accident claimed the lives of his parents. Two wonderful people who could never conceive a child of their own. They adopted Derek and his brother Simon when the boys were almost a year old. The boys completed their family and they lived happily for twenty two years. _

_But a tired driver and an icy road changed it all. The driver nodded off at the wheel for a moment and when he came to he found himself drifting into another lane on the highway. Trying to regain control, he grabbed the wheel and tried to steady his car and get it back into the lane he had been in before. But he'd hit a patch of black ice just as he grabbed the wheel. _

_Instead of regaining control, he lost even more of it and ended up sliding into another car in the far right lane. If the road had not been wet and icy, the car might not have slid off the road and down into the woods. The passenger side slammed into a tree, killing their mother on impact. Their father had survived the actual accident but died on the way to the hospital._

_The accident did more than destroy Derek and Simon's lives, it robbed the world of two of the most genuine people the world had ever known._

_Simon tried therapy and eventually was placed on anti-depressants by said therapist and nothing seemed to make his pain go away. Then he finally gave up. He stopped visiting his therapist and threw the medicine out. He turned to the bottle to drown his sorrows, always hoping the alcohol could make him forget for a while. And sometimes he hoped that he would find peace at the bottom of each of those bottles._

_Derek however, retreated into himself. He wouldn't talk to anyone. Performance at work decreased, his ambitions went up in smoke and the distance between himself and Chloe grew wider all the time._

_Chloe tried to give him space at first, let him digest the tragedy that had just been shoved down his throat. Then, when she tried to help him, when she tried to let him know that she would be there for him no matter what, he pushed her away. He didn't want her apologies and affections. After a few months, he had pushed almost everyone important away, so far that they were mere acquaintances. He pushed Chloe the farthest, like he was trying to drive her right off a cliff._

_She let him after a while. She had become weary, so tired of all the fights about their lack of communication and tired of having her love spurned._

_They called it off then, Chloe being forced to move out because the house they had shared for two years had originally belonged to Derek. He had given her three weeks to move all of her things out._

_Here she was getting the last of her stuff, tears streaming down her face. They had been high school sweethearts and for the past few weeks Chloe couldn't seem to wrap her mind around how quickly their relationship ended once they became distant._

_Derek walked into the garage. He was carrying another box. "Forgot one."_

_Chloe quickly wiped her shirt sleeve over her eyes and turned to face him. "Thanks," she said as he stuffed the box in on top of the others. She fiddled with her keys for a moment then handed her key to his house back._

_Derek stared at the key lying in her open palm. He wanted to tell her to keep it, that he had no use for another one. But, after a few more seconds of staring and quiet contemplation, he reached for the key, barely touching her palm when he took it._

"_So, this is it," she said pulling her hand back slowing and resting it against her stomach._

_Derek didn't speak. His eyes were darting around her face though. They spoke louder than any words ever could. A blank stare that was bordering on seeming very bored, with just a hint of sorrow._

"_Well, goodbye Derek." Her voice was shaky from fighting back tears. With that final statement she climbed into her SUV and left._

"Chloe, are you alright?"

Chloe felt a pair of warm hands wrap around hers. She glanced up at Justin. His hazel eyes reflected more concern for her than his expression did. He was good with hiding things through a facial expression but his eyes, they always gave him away.

"Sorry, got lost in a memory," she said offering him a small smile.

Justin bent to lightly kiss her forehead. "You still feeling up to going out with Tori and Danny?"

Chloe nodded. "I'll be fine."

He smiled and ran his hands through his brown hair. "We have to hurry if we plan to meet them on time then. Come on," he said offering her his hand. She took it and stood up from the table she had been sitting at. She let him lead her out of their apartment.

Chloe and Justin arrived at their favorite little diner about ten minutes late. Tori and Danny were already sitting at a booth when Chloe and Justin joined them.

Chloe glanced around the diner while Tori grilled Justin for answers as to why they were late. Tonight, the 50's themed diner was making her eyes hurt. Her head was throbbing actually. The neon signs and checkered floor were not helping.

"Oh!" Tori exclaimed. " So, Chloe and I need to go to the bathroom and have a girl moment?"

"Not touching that one…" Danny mumbled.

Tori elbowed him before sliding out of their booth and dragging Chloe to the bathroom.

"You need to explain. Right now," Tori said after she made sure they were alone in the women's restroom.

"Anniversary's next week."

"And your anniversary with Justin is in three months. What's your point?"

The four of them, Derek, Simon, Chloe and Tori, had been friends since middle school. Tori knew everything about their break up and the accident that somehow led to it.

"I know. It's just hard sometimes."

"It's been four years Chloe! You have to move on. Derek is your past. Justin is your present."

"But what if I don't want to? This time of year is so hard Tori. I miss him the most around this time. Our break up was…difficult but in a way, it was so dumb."

Tori sighed and began shaking her head. "Four years," she reminded her. "But, find someway to contact him, I guess. Or get over him. Those are your options. Think them over, after we have a wonderful evening here. Now smile. Put on your happy face and pretend to have fun," Tori plastered on a fake happy face as an example.

"Give me something for this headache and I'll make all the happy faces you want until we leave here."

**Review please. I know, not much there to review but…sorry. I've got a lot to do right now. I've also got other stories to think about…gotta keep updating all the others. Speaking of those other stories I am going to try to get an update done for Five Years before going to fair. Can't guarantee anything though.**

**Sorry, I'll shut up. Review por favor. **


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